Inyo County, California

Inyo is the name of a county in eastern California consisting of extensive mountains and desert lands. The western boundary of the area is the Eastern Sierras and the eastern boundary is Nevada. Inyo is also the name of a national forest in the area. Originally the word was a Paiute Indian word meaning 'dwelling place of a great spirit'. The capital of Inyo county is Independence. Inyo County contains both the highest and lowest points in the continuous US - Mount Whitney at 14,497 feet, and Death Valley, which is a few hundred feet below sea level.

The area just has some magical glow to it. It's impossible to explain but anyone who's watched a thunderhead come rolling off the precipitous sierra crest at 3 AM and fill the valley with flickering light and rain, who's seen Death Valley coated in yellow flowers after a rare El Niño rain, who's watched snow in August paint Mount Tom white, who's watched the first light of summer morning paint Mount Hoffman bright pink, seen the aspens in Onion Valley turn bright yellow-orange and lose all their leaves to the cold autumn wind will know what I mean...